Convertible blouse



Oct. 1,1957 y M. MILLER l 2,807,804

' coNvEmLE BLousE Filed sept. 21, 1955 United States Patent() CONVERTIBLE BLOUSE n Y Manuel Miller, New York, N. Y.

Application September 21, `1955,`Serial No. 535,702

i 1 claim. (ci. 2 126) This invention relates generally to the clothing art, and more particularly to an improved means and method for selectively engaging the sleeve heads of removable sleeves with the armscyes of a garment.

Such constructions are known in the art, and have generally lacked substantial public acceptance owing to the fact that the interconnectionof garment and sleeve in an engaged condition results in undesirable puckering of the armscye and `attached sleeve head. For the most part, this puckering is due to the diliiculty Vin sewing the attaching means to the armscye and sleeve head in such a manner that alignment of the interconnecting elements occurs all the way around the armscye. Where the means is in the form of a sewable tape having various forms of interconnecting elements thereupon, even the exercise of great care in sewing each of the tapes into position upon the armscye and sleeve head has not always prevented the occurrence of some puckering of exposed portions. y

It is therefore among the principal objects of the present invention to provide an improved means and method for interconnecting.detachable sleeves within the armscye of a convertible garment, in which the above-mentioned disadvantages have been substantially'eliminated.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of improved means of the class described, in which the cost of fabrication may be of a reasonably low order, with consequent wide sale, distribution and use.

AY further object of the invention lies Vin the provision of fastener tape elements having means incorporated therein for adjusting for minor disparities in the positioning of interconnecting elements disposed upon the tape, whereby the same may be shiftable within small limits to accommodate oppositely disposed fastener elements upon a second tape element upon engagement therewith.

Still another object of the invention lies in the provision of an improved method of incorporating fastener tape Figure 1 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is 'a similar fragmentary View in perspective, showing the interconnecting tape elements which form a part of the embodiment.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing a typical installation using prior art methods, whereby an undesirable appearance is obtained.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing f the cutting of a striptherefrom as a first step in the formation of a tape element.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view in perspective showing an unfinished tape strip.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing a completed fastener tape strip.

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing a first stage of installation of a tape element within an armscye.

Figure 7a is an enlarged sectional view showing `a first stage of installation of a corresponding tape elementl within a sleeve head. t

. Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View showing a second or completed stage of installation of a fastener tape element within an armscye, as shown from the plane 8 8 on Figure 2.

Figure 8a is a similar sectional view showing a second stage of installation of a tape element within a sleeve head as seen from the plane Saz-8a on Figure 2.

Referring to Figure 3 of the drawing, there may be seen a conventional detachable sleeve garment 10, the main body portion of which includes a front panel 11, a rear panel (not shown) which form an armscye 12 into which a sleeve body 13, having a lsleeve head 14, may be attachably disposed.

As may be seen on Figure 3, the armscye includes a folded edge 15 which forms puckered portions 16 between points of interconnection, owing to the fact that in conventional constructions a slight disparity in the placing f assumes the condition shown on Figure l, wherein the elements into the :armscye and sleeve head so as to provide a neat finished edge upon each of the portions of the garment when in engaged condition.

A feature of the invention lies in the fact that the interconnecting means associated with the armscye may be completelyconcealed from view, both before and after engagement with the sleeve head. Another feature of the invention lies in the fact that the improved means contemplates only materials and techniques already known in the art, therefore eliminating the necessity of special tools or skills in the incorporation of the inventive means into existing types ofy garments.

These objects and features, as well as other incidental ends and advantages, will become more clearly apparent during the course of -the following disclosure, and be pointed out in the appended claim.

On the drawings, to -which reference will be made in the specification, similar reference characters have been employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

fnishededge 15 remains substantially smooth and unpuckered after engagement with the sleeve head 14.

In accordance with the invention, the interconnecting meansY comprises broadly: .a first tape element or bias strip 18 and a second tape element or bias strip'19, the former being provided with a plurality of female connecting elements 20, while the latter is provided with corresponding male connecting elements 21. The tape elements 18 and 19, and the manufacture thereof, are substantially similar, so that a detailed description of the element 18 will serve equally well to describe the element 19.

Referring to Figure 4 of the drawing, there may be seen a blank of textile material 24 having a conventional weave in which the warp threads are disposed substantially at right angles with respect to the weft threads. From the blank 24, a plurality of elongated blanks 25 are cut, in such a manner that the raw side edges 26 and 27 are disposed at a bias with respect to the weave of the blank 24. As shown on Figure 4, a bias of 45 degrees is preferable, although not essential.

The blank is completed by installing a plurality of fastener elements 20 adjacent the orifices 28, which are positioned along a line parallel to the edge 26, after which the blank is folded along its principal axis to form a fold edge 29, the edge 26 abutting the edge 27. In this condition, the fastener elements are substantially concealed from view, as shown on-Figures 7 and 8.

If desired, stitch means 30 may be used to interconnect elements 20 `is preferably'installed within the armscye,

so that no unengaged projections will annoy the wearer when the garment is worn with the sleeves in a detached condition.

Referring to Figure 7 of the drawing, the tape element 18 is `placedzin position parallel to the raw edge 33 of the armscye, and lyingupon the outer surface 32 of the garment body. A line of stitches 31 then interconnects the edges 33, following` which `the tape element is folded through substantially 360 degrees to the position shown on Figure 8. This operation forms finished edges 34 and 35, and the` freeedge 29 isthen interconnected to the inner surface 37 of the armscye.

In a similar manner, the tape element 19 is first interconnected at the raw edge 40, of the sleeve head 14 (see Figure 7a) and folded as shown on Figure 8a to form iinished edges 42 and: 43, after which the free edge 29 isl interconnected by stitch means 44 to the outer surface 45 of the sleeve head. The sleeve may then be interconnected within the armscye, as shown on Figure 2, wherein the female and male fastener elements 20 and 21 may be interconnected. Owing to the fact that the biased tape upon which the fastener elements are mounted is capable of a limited amount of stretch or ductility, minor sewing errors in alignment or placing of the elements upon the tape may be corrected by the stretching of the tape at required points. Since the stretching or give in each of the tapes is cumulative, a relatively wide error may be easily corrected wherein the garment may have the appearance shown on Figure l. When the sleeve head is in a `detached condition, as may be seen on Figure 8, the female fastener elements 20 are completely concealed between the plies of the tape element 18, and can in no way scratch or irritate the skin of the` wearer. Since each fastener tape element is folded during the sewing operation, as shownon Figures 7, 7a, 8 and 8a, all raw edges are concealed within the garment wherein the armscye may present a neat appearance at all times.

I wish it to be understood that I do not consider the invention limited to the exact details of structure shown and set forth in this specification, for obvious moditca tions will occur to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains.

I claim:

In a garment comprising detachable parts including an armscye portion and a sleeve head portion, the improvements comprising means for selectively inter-connecting said sleeve head portion and said armscye portion, said means including: lirst and second fastener tape elements, said fastener tape elements each including a blank of elongated textile material, the weave of which is disposed on a bais with respect to the principal axis thereof, said blank including first and second laminae interconnected f by a fold edge, and having rst and second raw edges disposed in registry, a plurality of mating fastener ele ments disposed between said laminae and interconneo table to one of said laminae of each tape element; said first fastener tape element being secured to the periphery of said sleeve head portion such that the raw edges of said tape element and said sleeve head are mutually interconnected by first stitch means and are inwardly folded and concealed between the inner surface of said sleeve head and the exposed surface of the other of said laminae, said tape element also being interconnected to the inner surface of said sleeve head substantially at said fold edge by second stitch means; said second fastener tape element being interconnected to the periphery of said armscye portion such that the raw edges of said second tape element and said armscye 'are mutually interconnected by third stitchmeans, and are inwardly folded and concealed between the inner surface of said armscye portion and the exposed surface of the other of said laminae,

said second tape element also being interconnected substantially at said fold edge to the inner surface of said armscye portion by fourth stitch means; whereby upon interconnecting said first and second fastener tape elements, any misalignment of the mating fastener elements is compensated for by the flexing of the single lamina of each tape element through which interconnection is made.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 882,285 Armstrong Mar. 17, 1908 1,565,664 Mayer Dec. 15, 1925 1,575,357 Milner Mar. 2, 1926 2,075,060 Roseman Mar. 30, 1937 2,157,011 Perry May 2, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS 608,323 Great Britain Sept. 4,` 1948 W Haig* 

